Thesis Title

Author

Date of Graduation

Spring 2001

Degree

Master of Science in Psychology

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Thomas Kane

Subject Categories

Psychology

Abstract

The effects of goal orientation (GO) on the types of goals set by students and on factors associated with effective goal-setting practices were examined. Using free-set goal methodology, 380 college students from a Midwest university freely reported their goals for semester, college, and long-term time frames and their confidence and commitment toward those goals. All students tended to set outcome goals regardless of their GO. LGO was positively correlated with goal difficulty, goal specificity, goal commitment, and goal confidence. While Avoid PGO was negatively correlated with goal difficulty and goal specificity, it was positively correlated with goal commitment and goal confidence. Approach PGO was not related to goal difficulty or goal specificity, however it was negatively related to goal commitment and goal confidence. Implications of this study include a better understanding of the benefits and detriments of goal orientation and a clearer understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of goal orientation theory.